The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team sent the University of Missouri-St. Louis Riverwomen upstream in last Sunday’s exhibition finale with the score of 90-52. The Billikens outshot the Riverwomen 56 percent to 29 percent.
For the Bills, Melissa Oliver scored 14 points, had five steals, eight assists and zero turnovers. Oliver was full of energy during the game, cheering both on the court and from the bench when she was taking a rest.
“My role on the team is to keep everyone working hard. Keeping people up is one of my strengths,” Oliver said.
Four other Billikens scored double digits as well–LaKia Jones with 13, Amie Van Deurzen with 13, Harmonie King with 10 and Angie Lewis with 10.
While the Riverwomen had the first basket of the game, the Billikens were able to control the rest of the game.
The Riverwomen’s Christy Lane made the first shot, but Star Jackson answered with a three-pointer, putting the Bills up 3-2.
With Oliver tying the score 7-7 about three minutes into the game, the Billikens went on a 16-1 run. The streak started with a shot by King, followed by a lay-ups from Lewis, Oliver and Stephanie Solomon.
There was a break in the SLU scoring, with a free throw made by Lane. Jones then made four straight lay-ups to end the Billiken run with a score of 23-8.
“We came here ready to play,” Oliver said. “We wanted to prove that we were the best in St. Louis.”
With about five minutes left in the half, Jackson hit the ground hard on her left knee. She already had an injured patella, and the fall caused slight bruising, forcing Jackson to sit out for the remainder of the half.
After icing her knee, Jackson was able to start the second half.
In the last 2:30 of the half the Bills didn’t let the Riverwomen score, while the Bills were able to score five more points–two from Lakrisha Brown and three points from Van Deurzen. The teams went to the locker rooms with the score 38-22.
“Our defense set the tone of the game,” said coach Jill Pizzotti. “Our defense created steals. We were able to score off of and it created easier shots.”
To start the second half the Bills came out with a three-pointer by King, which was quickly followed by a three-pointer from the Riverwomen’s Lane.
However, that would be the last points that the Riverwomen would score for the next nine minutes. The Bills went on a 16-0 run to put them up 57-26.
“The score shouldn’t affect how you play,” Pizzotti said. “When you come out of the locker room, you have to re-establish yourself and we did that today.”
The scoring was only broken by free throws made the Riverwomen’s lane and Ebonie Halliburton. During this run for the Bills, Oliver scored 8 out of her 14 points, and Van Deurzen scored six of her 13 points. The Riverwomen missed 13 straight shots until with 7:12 left in the game, Tameka Carter scored a basket for the Riverwomen.
“Even though the foul shots didn’t affect the outcome of the game, we need to learn to keep out of foul trouble,” Pizzotti said.
In the closing minutes of the game the Riverwomen scored 10 points, but they did not stop the Bills from matching them point-for-point.
Shea Kenny and Van Deurzen made both of their free throws and the game ended with a lay-up by Brown.
The next game is tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. against Dayton.
